Walking in Yanesen: Japanese historical celebrities lay to rest in Yanaka cemetery.

Yanaka cemetery is located in the Yanesen area where the “Shitamachi” townscape is kept intensely pristine, and it recently gained popularity. This cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in Japan as popular place for cherry blossoms. It also is famous for the cemetery where there are lots of graves of celebrities from Japanese history. In this page we’d like to show some famous Japanese historical people who rest in peace in Yanaka cemetery.

About Yanaka cemetery

Yanaka cemetery is a municipal cemetery managed by Tokyo metropolitan city which contains 7000 graves in 100,000 square kilometers. There include graves of various historical figures such as a general of samurai and famous Japanese politicians. Yanaka cemetery is known for the cherry blossom; a beautiful alley of cherry trees in the cemetery starts blooming between late March to early April. Since it was once a part of a temple, Yanaka cemetery is a historically important place as it was once the site of the five-storied pagoda.

The last shogun of samurai, Yoshinobu Tokugawa at Yanaka cemetery

Yoshinobu Tokugawa is the last shogun (general) of the samurai era. He was the person to return the government to the Emperor in order to avoid the collapse caused by civil war. And he contributed the foundation of the modernization of Japan. Because of the grave that such important person in Yanaka cemetery, we can see how important place it is as a cemetery.

The grave of Ichiro Hatoyama, the former Japan prime minister at Yanaka cemetery

There are numerous graves of Japanese politicians at Yanaka cemetery. One of them is the grave of Ichiro Hatoyama, the politician that assisted in the postwar reconstruction as a Japan prime minister. He served as a prime minister for two years from 1954 to 1956, and he accomplished important work such as restoration of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union during his term. It seems interesting that important people who contributed greatly to Japan’s politics lay to rest in the area of old town of Yanesen.

Tsuyoshi Kashiwado, the former Yokozuna wrestler of the grand sumo tournament, also rest in peace at Yanaka cemetery

Not only are important historical figures’ graves in Yanaka cemetery but also there are lots of graves for people who have made a great contribution to Japanese culture such as Tsuyoshi Kashiwado. He was one of the strongest sumo wrestlers in professional sumo wrestling. He enriched Japanese sumo culture by winning five times after numerous exciting wrestling battles with Wrestler Taiho. He is quietly sleeping with numerous great men at Yanaka Cemetery.